Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Free Speech and Islamic Outrage: What Was Said, What Should Have Been Said

“The Embassy of the United
States in Cairo
condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious
feelings of Muslims -- as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all
religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks on the United States,
Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the
fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is
a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who
abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of
others."

"The United
States government had absolutely nothing to
do with this video. We absolutely reject its content and message.

To us, to me personally, this video is disgusting and
reprehensible. It appears to have a deeply cynical purpose: to denigrate a
great religion and to provoke rage.

I know it is hard for some people
to understand why the United
States cannot or does not just prevent these
kinds of reprehensible videos from ever seeing the light of day. I would note
that in today's world, with today's technologies, that is virtually impossible.

But
even if it were possible our country does have a long tradition of free
expression which is enshrined in our Constitution and our law. And we do not
stop individual citizens from expressing their views no matter how distasteful
they may be."

Commentary by walford

She reiterated the point that the
U.S. government had “nothing to do” with the “offending” video as she gave a
speech while the bodies of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and
three other Americans were later being unloaded at Andrews Air Force Base.

“In every country, there are those
who find different religious beliefs threatening; in every culture, those who
love freedom for themselves must ask how much they are willing to tolerate
freedom for others.

That is what we saw play out the
last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the
Muslim world. I have made it clear that the United States government had
nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by
all who respect our common humanity.

The future must not belong to those
who slander the prophet of Islam."

He later gave a speech before theU.N. General Assembly saying that no religion should be denigrated, even allowing
this for Christianity. This is an improvement for him, but it misses the point
and thus leaves ambiguity for those who mean us harm to interpret to suit their
own intolerant -- and self-serving -- needs. Our freedom of speech should have
been at the forefront and our resolve to defend it unequivocal.

What should have been said -

This is what any President who has
sworn to protect the US Constitution should have said on the day the rioting
started and repeated ever since -- especially in front of the UN:

"The United States of America
is a free country with free speech. That is what makes our country
great. That is what makes our country prosperous. People who are free to
express themselves without fear have their creativity unbound to the benefit of
all. There is no individual and no group in our country who is too powerful to
be exempt from robust and uninhibited criticism. And this right of free
expression is extended to everyone, regardless of connections or lack thereof.

People who suffer under oppression
and poverty owe their condition in great part to their lack of free speech. We
in the United States
will certainly not emulate this to appease those who will resort to violence
because of speech that offends them.

Our government is not in a position to
endorse or undermine in any way the free speech of private individuals. Our
government has a responsibility to defend it, however. Specifically with regard
to speech supporting, glorifying, lampooning or criticizing a particular
religion, that is not prohibited in our country.

We understand that picturing or
discussing the Prophet of Islam in a way that is not in accordance with Islamic
teaching and scriptures is prohibited under Shari'a law, under penalty of
death. We do not have Shari'a law in the United States of America. We have a
Constitution which we are sworn to defend, even if that means with blood.

As President of the United States,
I am prepared to defend our freedom of speech using all the means at my
disposal. Those who would threaten or harm Americans lawfully expressing their
freedom of speech should know unequivocally that they do so at risk of their
very lives."